"Tough Eight-year Journey..": Two-time Gold Medallist On Why Neeraj Chopra Will Find It Tough To Win Defend Olympic Title

Two-time Olympic Games gold medallist in 800m, Kenya's David Rudisha, is keen to train Indian sprinters and middle-distance runners when he calls time on his illustrious career. The 34-year-old two-time world champion in 800m, who defended his 2012 London Olympics gold in Rio four years later, also said winning back-to-back gold medals at the quadrennial games is not easy but India's ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra can achieve the feat if he continues to train the way he was before the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Rudisha, who is reaching the "end of my professional career", added his retirement could open up opportunities for him to coach aspiring runners.

Asked if he would be keen to train Indian sprinters and middle-distance runners after calling time on his professional career, Rudisha, 34, said, "Well, after I am done with some level 1 and 2 coaching programmes, yes I can have a fresh start and that (coaching) could be an option. There are no boundaries for coaches. You are like a teacher and whoever wants to learn is most welcome."

Rudisha, who is here as the brand ambassador of Sunday's Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon, is one of the few track athletes to have won back-to-back Olympic gold and says that contrary to belief, it's not an easy task to retain the crown. On whether Chopra will be able to defend his Tokyo crown, Rudisha said, "It's a tough eight-year journey performing in consecutive Olympics. So many new athletes are coming in.

"My experience says it's not easy to defend (gold) and there are no guarantees, given that so many other things like physical fitness, preparation etc too play a major role. But, yes, it's still achievable." The celebrated athlete also indicated he is not happy with the way Kenya's